Love Hina: Picture Perfect
by Allen Ramsey
Summary: A two-time ronin and a talented artist in her own right, Urashima Keika finds herself living at her grandmother's dormitory after being kicked out of her parents' house... Warnings: Female Keitaro, FemKei/Kit shoujo-ai/femslash, rated M mostly for safety
1. Sketchy Start

_Disclaimer: I do not own Love Hina, nor am I making any profit from this particular work of fanfiction._

_**WARNINGS: Contains a female Keitaro, shoujoai/femslash/lesbian pairing(s), some language, nudity, and sexuality… Rated M mostly for safety… READ AT YOUR OWN DISCRETION!!!**_

_Author's Note: Well, here's the start of my second fanfiction here on … and it's likewise my second Love Hina fiction. Since my previous fic did so well, I decided to continue with my 'Love Hina: Keika' series (that's what I'm calling it) with this fiction. Out of all the pairings available, I find myself strangely attracted to this one for some reason… I always did like Kitsune, after all… anyway, let's see how it goes now, shall we?_

_Author's Note 2: Oddly enough, this is my first M-Rated fic, but it's mostly rated that to be on the safe side, since I don't know how far the artistic view of the body's nude form falls into M-rating or from T-rating. Likewise, I don't know how strict this site is on said rules, so I don't want to stretch it too far or whatnot and end up on the wrong end of the 'ban-hammer'. Personally, I wouldn't consider my story M-Rated (unless I throw in a scene of 'lovemaking'), but then again, I don't have any problem with sexuality/nudity, but I guess I'm just the minority there…_

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Love Hina: Picture Perfect**_

_Chapter 1: Sketchy Start_

* * *

The door to Hinata-sou slid open, yet for what might have been the first time in months, the woman opening said door was not one of the tenants. Dark brown hair adorned her head, cut short and apparently able to naturally feather outwards in a rather trendy style. Her eyes were a lighter shade of brown than her hair, and her visible skin was light. She wasn't tall, though she was by no means short, and she was clad rather simply with a long sleeve black turtleneck and a pair of comfortable, slightly worn blue jeans. The final addition to this cute (rather shapely, if I do say so myself) girl was a pair of small framed glasses, as well as a messenger style bag that she carried with her.

This woman was Urashima Keika, the nineteen year old granddaughter of Hina, who was the owner of the establishment she was currently entering.

"Hello? Anyone here?" Keika called out as she entered the main room ever so slowly "Anyone at all?"

Hearing no response, nor seeing any current signs of life, Keika decided to simply slip off her shoes and begin exploring the place on her own. She hadn't been there for years and needed to reacquaint herself with the place, and it was her _grandmother's_ place, after all. She figured that gave her enough license to wander around the bottom floor looking for someone to help her out. As her stomach grumbled, she decided that finding a kitchen was probably going to be her goal instead.

'_If I remember right… the kitchen was down this way…'_ Keika thought as she turned towards a hallway heading towards the back of the establishment _'It's worth a shot, anyway.'_

As she slowly traversed the hallway, she noticed that this place had a rather interesting beauty and feel to it, something she didn't quite remember from her youth. She took the time to relish it now; she found it's archaic beauty somewhat inspiring, in a way. As she rounded a corner, having not yet found the kitchen, she overheard what she thought was running water. With a look of interest, she gazed around the corner of an open door, only to have her eyes snap open at the sight before her.

"An onsen!" she exclaimed softly, smiling as she looked around for a changing room "I'm sure oba-san won't have a problem with me taking a quick soak before meeting her!"

Picking up her pace, she found the nearest double door, assuming it was the changing room for the onsen. She then proceeded to throw the door open, and was about to rush in moments before she finally took a good look at the room in front of her. She stopped so quickly at the sight of the other young woman that it was a wonder she didn't break or tear something. As for why… well, it wasn't everyday you come to face with-

'_An angel… a heavenly goddess of beauty…'_ Keika thought as her eyes snapped open to their fullest.

Keika's eyes followed the woman's face as she stood up from picking up a towel, fully exposing her wonderfully bare figure to the young Urashima. Her hair was short, shorter than Keika's own in fact, and was a noticeably lighter shade of brown that bordered on grey. Her eyes were… unique… they reminded Keika of the various depictions of kitsune she had seen. The woman's face as a whole was attractive, even on down to the pale shaded yet full lips, blending quite well with the woman's soft, light skin.

Keika's eyes, against all rational thought, began to trail down from the woman's beautiful face, trailing down a slender neck to shoulders that, while by no means delicate, were evidently feminine and, to her, perfect. Her eyes trailed down, taking note of the same lightly toned and shapely arms and forearms, leading down to the delicate hands of one unaccustomed to manual labor. As she worked her way back up the arms, her eyes moved down to the woman's rather large, full breasts, which were perky and shapely, the light skin breaking to pink around the woman's nipples. However, her eyes did not linger their to long, for she was soon moving down the woman's flat and narrow waist, seeing nothing but flawless skin as she moved down to the woman's strong thighs, alerting Keika to the presence of a perfect hourglass figure. Keika's once-over, which was by no means a quick or unnoticed one, eventually ended after Keika observed the woman's strong, calves and narrow feet.

'_Oh kami-sama… she's _perfect_.'_ Keika found herself thinking, all sense of self-preservation or manners long gone as her mouth lay agape _'She's… so gorgeous-'_

The flick between Keika's eyes caught her entirely off guard, and the force, while not that significant, sent her stumbling backward until she fell against the wall. Now, having been rather roughly dragged back from her own little world, Keika found herself somewhat irritated as she rubbed the sore spot on her head.

"Aug! That hurt! Why'd you-" Keika began, her self-preservation instincts kicking in a moment later when she looked up to see herself eye to eye… literally.

She subconsciously took note of the fact that, while one eye was brown and fully open, the other was shut in a vulpine expression. This was, however, not at the forefront of her mind.

"It's rude t' stare, y'know…" the woman said, clearly not amused as she looked Keika right in the eye, her face no more than a foot away at best.

Keika, who was now wide eyed with fear rather than awe, found that her throat was too tight to force words out. She did get points for trying though, but not before the woman moved even closer to Keika. That's about the time that the fox-eyed woman's breasts began to press against her own, forcing Keika's face to turn a brilliant shade of bloody crimson as she glanced down and attempted to press even further into the wall behind her. Her attention was brought back up when a hand flew by her right ear, slamming open-palmed into the wall behind her. Naturally, this brought her attention up to the vulpine eyes before her.

"You've seen meh nekkid, suga'…" the fox-woman said, an equally vulpine grin crossing her face "…and y' didn't _ask_ t' see me either… jus' _barged_ in…"

Keika tried to voice something as her hands tried to dig into the wall, but was cut off as a hand went by her other ear, once more landing open-palmed on the wall right behind her. Keika's ears and chest were thumping hard by now, while her eyes remained locked on the vulpine face in front of her.

"All y' had t' do was _ask _proper, suga'… but now it looks lahk ah'll have t' make y' _pay_ for it instead…" the fox said, her eyes opening as the vulpine grin turned downright wicked.

'_Oh kami-sama! I'm gonna die, I'm gonna die, I'm gonna… die…'_ Keika's mind began to shout, nearly stopping as one of the woman's legs maneuvered it's way between her own, pressing up against a rather personal area of her body.

In this situation, Keika did what many shy women would do when pinned to a wall by a seemingly crazed, naked woman who resembled a fox… she blacked out.

* * *

"Ugh… my _head_…" Keika moaned as she found herself staring up at a rather bright light on what she assumed was the ceiling "Ano… what happened?"

"I was going to ask you that question."

Keika's full senses kicked in when she heard the older woman's voice. The smell of cigarettes… the dark hair in her blurry vision… and the all too familiar voice from her youth, albeit with a difference in pitch over the years…

"Haruka-oba-sa-ugh!" Keika began happily… until the harisen caught her across the side of the head.

Somehow, Haruka had managed to produce the paper fan from nothing, sending it back from whence it came not two moments later.

"Just Haruka; I'm not _that_ old yet." Haruka replied calmly from her spot standing above Keika, an unlit cigarette hanging from her lips "How do you feel?"

"W-Well… I've got a headache…" Keika replied as she sat up, realizing that she must have been lain out on a the couch "…I think… I collapased earlier…"

"Ya fell lahk a rock, suga'." a voice from behind her commented, surprising Keika out of her seat as she reflexively swung out to grab her glasses.

Luckily, by the time she'd landed rear-first on the floor, Keika's glasses were on and she was able to clearly see the foxy woman from earlier propping her head up on the back of the couch. Something between fear, embarrassment, and guilt washed over her, and she felt her body temp begin to rise once again.

"Y-You! I mean-" Keika quickly scrambled to her knees, bowing as low as she could with the couch in the way "Gomenasai! I didn't mean to walk in on you! O-Or stare! Please forgive me!"

"Woah there suga', y' can chill out." the woman, now clad in a set of rather comfortable, relaxing clothing, replied with a brief gesture for emphasis "No harm, no foul, after all."

"B-" Keika began again, but was cut off by her aunt.

"Obviously, you've already met Konno Mitsune, also known as-"

"Kitsune." the vulpine woman said, opening a single eye far enough, and long enough, to wink playfully at the older brunette.

'_I wonder why…'_ Keika ruefully thought as she began to understand the previous events better _'hell, she even _looks_ like an inexperienced kitsune in a transformation… wonder if she likes dogs…?'_ (1)(2)

"She's one of the tenants here at oba-san's dorm." Haruka explained calmly "The other girl's aren't back from school yet, but you should be meeting them this afternoon."

"Alright, I guess I-wait, what did you say this place was?" Keika asked, snapping up to the other woman's face when dawning fell upon her.

"It's an all-girls dormitory, and it's been that way for years." Haruka replied as she gave the other girl a look "That's not a problem, is it?"

"N-No, not at all!" Keika responded quickly, her embarrassment showing through ever so slightly "I was just surprised… that's all."

"Hm… well, anyway, I've got to get back down to the tea shop before lunch." Haruka said, turning to face Kitsune "Since you've got nothing better to do, how about helping her get used to this place?"

"Eh, sure, whah not?" Kitsune replied with a grin "There's not anythin' good on righ' now anyway."

Haruka didn't even bother nodding as she began to head towards the door. In a way, Keika wished that her aunt wouldn't leave; she didn't know just _how much_ this 'Kitsune' was like an _actual_ kitsune.

"Well suga', jus' you an' me now." Kitsune said with a grin as she locked her vulpine eyes with Keika's own "Now, how 'bout we work out that payment ah mentioned earlier…?"

"W-What?! You said-"

"'No harm, no foul', an' that ah meant. Ah didn't say y' didn't have t' pay up though." Kitsune continued, practically grinning from ear to ear "Don't worry though, ah won't make ya pay _too_ much…"

Somehow, Keika didn't find that too comforting.

* * *

"…is it possible to be even more 'broke' than broke?" Keika mused aloud as she looked upon her empty wallet with disdain "I think I found out how it's possible…"

"Really? Ah'd a thought you'd have more money than that, since yer Hina's grandkid and all." Kitsune said, downing another glass of sake the next moment "Aaahh… at least y' had enough t' buy me th' good stuff…"

"Yeah, four bottles of it…" Keika mumbled as she narrowed her eyes "Now, explain to me just _why_ you wanted me to get into the bath with you?"

That had been the case, and the end result was the current scene in the onsen. On one side was Kitsune, relaxing and without a care (or a towel) with a bottle of expensive sake and a glass nearby, while on the other was Keika, with a towel and a look of embarrassment and nervousness etched upon her face. As to why she was blushing, well, she just figured that it was the warmth of the bath that was getting to her.

"Well, ah figured that four bottles of th' good stuff was a bit too much for one once-over." Kitsune replied grinning wildly "Ah figured th' least ah could do would be t' let y' have another peek or two."

"You make me sound like I'm some pervert…" Keika muttered as she looked away, honestly downtrodden as her shoulder's slumped slightly.

"Now come on, ah didn't mean it tha' way." Kitsune said with a chuckle as she poured out some more sake "Ah jus' meant y' could take a closer look if y' wanted… maybe a _hands-on_ approach...?"

Now, Keika was certain that the blush and warmth she felt was directly connected to her overwhelming embarrassment as various images of the woman's beautiful body flashed through her mind.

"Th-That's not-! I wasn't wanting _that_!" Keika exclaimed, not quite thinking before she spoke.

"Oh? Hm…" Kitsune appeared contemplative for a moment, downing another round of sake before finally speaking, her face appearing strangely serious for a moment "Well… ah _am_ single righ' now…"

"WHAT?!?! That is _definitely_ not what I meant!" Keika shouted as she rapidly got to her feet, towel and embarrassment be damned.

"Reeaally?" Kitsune drawled, quirking an eyebrow as she opened up one of her eyes "Y' were staring _way_ to long for someone who wasn't 'interested', y'know…"

"I _was_ interested! I-I mean-Ugh!" Keika shouted as she cupped her hands over her face in irritation "I mean, I was admiring how beautiful you are, but only in an _artistic_ sense! It was just, you're so… enchanting… I couldn't help but stare…"

Kitsune's eyes were now open, locking onto Keika's own for quite some time. Keika couldn't help it, but she felt her blush coming back full force as the woman stared at her. It was odd, but it almost felt as if the vulpine woman was able to see more than just her eyes when she looked at Keika like this. That feeling was gone the moment Kitsune closed her eyes, grinning in amusement as she looked down a short distance on Keika's body.

"So… ah take it yer cold?" Kitsune asked, amusement layering her voice as she helped herself to another round of sake.

Keika blinked twice, then looked down. What was there to greet her eyes was not her towel covered body, but rather her bare form which was, as Kitsune had noted, reacting to going from warm water into cool air in a rather predictable fashion.

"KYAA!!" Keika shouted as she immediately dropped back down into the water, temporarily submerging her entire body "What happened to my towel?!"

"Y' dropped it suga'." Kitsune said simply, pointing to the pink towel slowly sinking down to the bottom of the onsen.

'_Oh dear kami-sama…'_ Keika began to think as her face once more turned blood hue _'Please… kill me now…'_

Glancing at the water, as opposed to the vulpine tease's form or face, Keika noticed a small shadow on the water just before her. As she watched, said shadow began to grow bigger… and bigger… until finally Keika looked up to see a small girl with dark skin and blonde hair heading right towards her in all her natural glory.

"Holy shit!" was all Keika could manage before the girl collided with the older woman, forcing both of them into the depths of the onsen and, for the second time that day, knocking the Urashima woman unconscious.

"Damn… ah was jus' startin' t' have fun with 'er…" Kitsune mused aloud, and then sighed "Guess ah gotta keep 'er from drownin' now…"

* * *

"Ugh… my _head_…" Keika moaned as she found herself staring up at a rather bright light on what she assumed was the ceiling "Ano… was I hit by a truck?"

"Nopsies! That was _me_!" a young girl's voice shouted, only moments before said girl landed on right on her stomach "I's Kaolla Su, but yous can call me Su!"

"Ugh! Can't… breathe!" Keika gasped as the gaijin continued to sit on her stomach, which was hindering her ability to regain the wind that had just been knocked out of her.

Luckily, the young girl was pried off her by another, currently blurred figure. Keika was capable of grabbing her glasses once more though, and was then graced by the sight of the blonde gaijin dressed in a sailor fuku style school uniform, and of a tall girl with black hair dressed in a gi and hakama, complete with a shirasaya katana.

Keika also noticed that the gaijin girl, Su, was strangely and exotically cute, while the older girl had a sort of strength and confidence that added to her own unique beauty.

"I apologize for Kaolla-san." the samurai said, bowing deeply as she spoke and held onto Su "She does not always understand the consequences of her playful intents."

'_Finally, someone who _isn't _crazy around here…'_ Keika thought, then remembered that she was dressed like a samurai _'…or maybe not…'_

"It's alright, I guess. I'm alright after all." Keika replied as she sat up on the couch, the same one as last time, in fact "I'm Urashima Keika, by the way."

"Konno-san informed us of that earlier." the samurai replied "I am Aoyama Motoko, Urashima-san."

A tap on her shoulder alerted her to another person behind her, so she turned her head to find herself staring up at yet another beautiful young girl, this one with a more tradition sense of beauty about her.

"Glad to see you're up, Urashima-san." the woman said with a pleasant smile "I'm Narusegawa Naru."

"Ano…" another voice caught Keika's attention, this one coming from a nearby hallway.

Once more, Keika found herself staring at another beautiful young girl, this one even younger than Su, by the looks of it, and with an interesting blue hair color. She was cute, but even in the cute appearance, Keika could see the shy girl that she was.

"Um… I'm Maehara Shinobu…" the shy girl finally said, bowing respectfully after words "It' good to meet you, Urashima-san!"

"It's good to meet you too, Maehara-san." Keika replied, getting to her feet a moment later.

'_Wait… I was naked when I passed out… did Kitsune dress me?'_ Keika thought, her blush rising as she tried to figure out whether to be worried or not.

"Are you alright, Urashima-san?" Motoko asked, letting Su go only a moment or two prior "Do you have a fever?"

"Huh? Uh, no, I don't think so." Keika responded quickly, averting her gaze towards the stairs "Um, where is Kitsune?"

"She'd be upstairs." Naru stated, moving around the couch so she could see Keika's face "If she's not in front of the TV, or in the bath, then she'd be up their."

"Most likely, she is highly inebriated and asleep." Motoko interjected, a clear hint of disapproval evident in her speech.

'_With the way she was sucking down that sake earlier, I'll be surprised if she can even stand up right now…'_

"Oh, by the way, do any of you know what room I'm supposed to be staying in?" Keika asked, particularly looking at Naru, as she appeared to be the oldest one there.

"Yeah, actually, Haruka told me to take you to your room when you get up again." Naru answered, reaching down to grab something near the edge of the couch "This is yours, right?"

"Ah! My bag!" Keika cried as she took her messenger bag from the auburn headed girl "Arigatou, Narusegawa-san!"

"Just Naru's fine; we're hardly ever so formal here… 'cept for Motoko, that is." Naru explained, eliciting a slight eye roll from the samurai girl "Shall we be off then?"

With a nod, the group that had gathered in the main room dispersed, with Motoko off to train, Shinobu off to finish cooking, and Su off to… god only knew what the borderline psychotic gaijin was off to do. As for Keika and Naru, they were off to her room on the second floor, while exchanging a bit of information about the inn-turned-dorm. Keika had to admit that talking to this girl was by far more helpful than Kitsune had been about things.

As she passed by one of the rooms, Keika could have sworn she heard the sound of someone snoring, but simply dismissed it as her simply hearing things. It was the room right after that that Naru halted, smiling as pleasantly as she was earlier.

"This here is the room Haruka wanted me to take you to." Naru said, gesturing to the sign above the door, which read 'kanrinin' "It used to be Hina-oba-san's room before she left for overseas."

'_How can she manage to be so… wild… at her age?'_ Keika wondered, but outwardly she smiled and thanked Naru for her help before entering the room.

The room was bare, save for a futon that had apparently been set there recently, most likely by Haruka. Having nowhere else to put it, she set her bag down beside the futon, and lay down on 'her' futon after that. Sighing, she rolled to her side, facing away from her bag as she began to consider her situation.

'_Being a dorm actually helps; I can stay here longer, even if I have to pay. Plus, I won't have to worry about any unruly people coming in and renting rooms… though I don't think that Kisune will make it any… is that snoring?'_

Indeed, it appeared that Keika had not been simply hearing things earlier; there was indeed snoring coming through one of the walls. Sitting up and listening, it appeared as if the sound was coming from the room on Keika's right, which is when a thought dawned on her.

'_Kitsune was the _only _girl_ _not down there… I think_.'

Getting to her feet swiftly, Keika made her way to the door with as little sound as possible. It was probably a useless effort; she'd seen the vulpine woman down almost a full bottle of that strong sake she'd bought, which was enough to put most anyone out for a good time… or kill a lightweight. Somehow though, she didn't figure Kitsune for a lightweight. Even knowing that, Keika took care enough to slowly slide open both her door and the one next door, peeking in through a crack to see it's contents. Aside from a massive quantity of alcohol of various types, brands, strengths, and volumes, there lay a futon and a woman atop it.

The woman, who seemed to be sawing logs with a chainsaw, was none other than the vulpine temptress from earlier.

'_Wait, 'temptress'?'_ Keika thought, somewhat embarrassed before quickly dismissing it.

Kitsune seemed to sleep in a rather undignified way, her body sprawled out in just about every direction that her limbs would allow her to move, with her shirt riding up to expose the very bottoms of both her breasts. Pinching the bridge of her nose, partly out of stress and partly due to the smell of alcohol wafting off of the girl, Keika tip toed into the room, careful to avoid some of the spent bottles littering the ground.

For a moment, she wasn't sure just what she was meaning to do in there, or even what compelled her to enter the room in the first place. After a minute, she decided to simply begin picking up the empty bottles littering the floor, which appeared to be a good armful, and deposit them in the trash can near the back of the room. Her good deed done, she headed for the door, but stopped as she neared the fox and opted for a slightly closer look. Crouching down, she took a close look at Kitsune's sleeping face, noting that, even with the blush brought about by the excessive amount of alcohol in her system, the fox woman really was quite attractive when asleep, but it was nothing compared to when Keika had first seen her.

Smiling as she admired Kitsune's sleeping form, which was strangely tranquil and peaceful despite it's rather chaotic sprawling of limbs, Keika began working the blanket from the futon out from under the drunken woman. It took some time, but eventually the blanket was out, and Kitsune was now sleeping more dignifiedly on her side, her head actually resting on the pillow. Carefully, Keika slipped the blanket over the woman's body, making sure it covered everything from shoulders on down to her feet. Standing up after that, a soft smile on her face, she tip toed her way to the door, opened it, and left without a single word.

The moment the door clicked shut, and Keika began moving away from the door, Kitsune's previously gaping mouth worked it's way into a knowing smile.

'_Such an interesting girl…'_

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End Chapter 1**_

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Author's Note: Footnotes…_

_(1) In the legends around kitsunes, the inexperience young kits were not always able to fully transform, often maintaining fox-like characteristics, like the eyes, snout, fur, tail, ears, etc._

_(2) Also in legends, kitsunes had a fear of dogs that was strong enough to make them break out of their transformations._

_Well, there's chapter one, which kinda sets the scene for the story. Obviously, you can see the pairing, but it's not going to be like my last fic in how they get together. Anyway, if you have suggestions, criticisms (preferably the constructive kind), or anything else about the story, please, PLEASE Review. I've still got some holiday left, so I should be able to get chapter 2 up soon._

_Till then…_

_**-A.W.R.**  
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	2. Penciling In

_Disclaimer: I do not own Love Hina, nor am I making any profit from this particular work of fanfiction._

_**WARNINGS: See page one… or simply accept whatever comes… your choice…**_

_Author's Note: Alright, Chapter 2, since Chapter 1 got a total of some really good reviews. I thank those who reviewed; I appreciate it when someone takes the time to give me their honest opinion on my story. Anyway, I'll go ahead and end this AN; I've talked long enough as it is._

_AN 2.0: Meh… this took me longer than usual, because I had to change from my original plan for not only this chapter, but for the first 'arc' of this story. But, that's why I refer to my favorite phrase: 'No battle plan has ever survived contact with the enemy.' All too true...  
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Love Hina: Picture Perfect**_

_Chapter 2: Penciling In  
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"…damn… this stuff makes my head hurt…" Keika grumbled, setting her pencil down to the side before running a hand through her short hair.

Since her arrival at Hinata-sou, and barring the first day, she'd spent a vast majority of her time studying. After all, she had a practice exam coming up in five days, and she _really_ needed to study for it. Yet in her hyper-focused study obsession, she had effectively alienated herself from the other members of the dorm save for meals, some baths, and when she and Naru attended the Sasagi seminar on weekdays. Even Kitsune, who had been so apt to tease her the first day she was here, was giving her the space she appeared to need for studying.

Despite the good circumstances regarding her ability to study, Keika still found that she was going nowhere fast. She did alright at Japanese, and even English, but Biology, Calculus… hell, _everything_ but the two languages was difficult for her to pin down. At times, it felt as if her head was going to explode from all the calculus, trigonometry, chemistry, and everything else she kept trying to cram in there. Even with all that effort, her practice tests were not improving, and at times she actually scored _worst_ than she had before a bout of studying. To say the young woman was frustrated would be the understatement of the year.

"Ah think y' need a break, suga'."

Keika, literally, shot up to her feet so quickly that her leg caught her kotatsu, which then tripped her and caused her to fall forward onto said kotatsu. Though the kotatsu didn't break, the fall was substantial enough to send her books and notebooks clattering to the floor in every direction, creating a giant mess of her room. For a moment, Keika simply lay their atop her kotatsu, one eye twitching as a mixture of irritation, annoyance, and adrenaline brought about by fear played out in her body.

"Kitsune…"

"Seriously, you've done nothin' but study, sleep, bathe, an' eat since y' got 'ere." Kitsune continued, sitting cross-legged just behind where Keika had previously been sitting "Y' need a break. Even Naru's taken breaks to rest."

"How did you get in here?"

"Ah walked in through th' door; y' were so focused, ya didn't even notice when I sat down behind ya." Kitsune explained with a wild grin, crossing her arms and straightening her back proudly "Now let's get ya somethin' t' drink, suga!"

"Ugh… please, just let me study Kitsune…" Keika moaned into her kotatsu, her head honestly aching from the endless hours of studying she'd been doing "I'm not in the mood for this now…"

"Aww… ah'm hurt…" Kitsune declared, clearly overacting enough for just about anyone to know that she was kidding "An' here ah was thinkin' ya _liked_ me…"

Blushing, Keika still didn't move from her spot, since seeing the blush would only push the woman to further lengths of embarrassment.

"Kitsun-AAAH!!"

Once more, Keika shot to her feet, this time not managing to trip herself even as she spun around to stare, completely red in the face, at the vulpine woman on the ground. The vulpine woman wore the most innocent of expressions one could imagine, yet one could guess that Keika wasn't currently cupping both of her cheeks (and not the ones on her face) for no reason.

"What the hell, Kitsune?!" Keika shouted excitedly.

"Ah jus' couldn't resist." Kitsune replied, breaking into a brilliant grin a moment later "Now come on; ah've got a big bottle o' imported rum with yer name on it!"

"No." Keika grumbled, stepping towards one of the other sides of the kotatsu "I have-"

"Ah know, ah know… the practice exam, right?" Kitsune cut in, opening her eyes long enough to roll them "If yer _really_ serious 'bout makin' a good grade on th' exam, then y' should be takin' a break now and then."

"Heh… yeah, right…" Keika mumbled as she knelt down to begin picking up the notebooks and textbooks that littered the ground "I can't afford to _waste_ any time…"

"Please… d'ya _really_ think I'd tell ya to do somethin' that screwed somethin' else up like that?" Kitsune asked, only to be met by a look that seemed to be a mix between a glare and a look of an utterly incredulous nature "…alright, so ah would. Not this time though; this time it's t' _help_ you!"

'_She has _got_ to be kidding…'_ Keika thought as she continued going on about her business picking up the scattered study materials.

"Okay, here's th' thing: yer brain doesn't simply remember whatever y' read, right?" Kitsune continued "That's why y' have t' study so much; 'cause it takes time fer ya to learn the material, right?"

Temporarily distracted from her task at hand, Keika nodded slowly to the question, eliciting a grin from th' fox.

"Alright, we're on th' same page." Kitsune commented, but then turned serious "Alright, so y' study so much because y' figure that th' more y' study, th' better ya remember it, right? That's why you've been studyin' all this time, right?"

Once more Keika nodded, this time fully turning to face the vulpine woman. Though Keika found it somewhat incredulous, she had to admit that Kitsune seemed to actually be following a decent train of thought… so far.

"However, by doin' that, ya basically throw a bunch a information at yer brain… more than it can effectively take on in one go." Kitsune continued, still sounding serious "As such, y' really only remember th' first an' last things y' study, since the first one has had plenty a time t' be learned before bein' overwhelmed, an' the last one is still at the front a yer mind."

'…_that… makes sense, actually…'_ Keika thought, her expression ever stoic as she continued listening.

"However, if y' only study a little bit, lahk a chapter or so at a tahm, then yer brain is able to maintain more of it, since there's less information fer it t' deal with at one time." Kitsune further expounded "If y' do that over an' over, with breaks in between, y' effectively study th' same amount o' material, but y' learn _more_ of it than if you'd studied fer hours straight on end."

Keika was now officially dumbstruck. This woman, whom Keika had seen do absolutely _nothing_ constructive, and had personally seen do nothing but drink, gamble, and tease shamelessly, had constructed a logical argument that sounded feasible and reasonable. Further, she could _verify_ it with her own experience; during her self-given practice tests, she always did best on the material at the beginning and the end of the book.

'_I'm being told… by a slacker and a lush… that I've been studying wrong…'_ Keika's mind realized, having put two and two together to get none other than four.

"That's why y' should come downstairs, sit yerself down in front o' the TV, and have a couple'a dozen shots o' that imported rum ah mentioned!" Kitsune finally concluded, grinning as foxily as ever.

Keika couldn't help herself as her left hand flew up, performing an absolutely perfect face-palm.

'_Well, she _was_ on a roll there…'_

"Look, Kitsune, I _really_ don't have time to rest, and I _absolutely_ can't afford to drink with you." Keika stated, sighing as her left hand returned to her side "The test is in five days…"

"Well-"

"Keika?"

The door to the room slid open, revealing Haruka standing in the doorway. Both other women found their focus on her, rather than the previous conversation.

"Uh… hai, Haruka-o… Haruka-san?" Keika replied, catching herself at the last moment.

Haruka only took a step or two into the room, holding out a small stack of papers out for Keika to take. Both Kitsune and Keika stood, the former simply for a better look while the latter was actually seeking to accept the documents being handed to her. When Keika finally took the papers, she saw that it was a fax from Hina.

"Why would-?"

"Just keep reading." Haruka insisted, rolling her unlit cigarette around in her mouth slightly.

Keika did, and the further down the page she got, the wider her eyes were getting. As she read the last, fateful line of the fax, she felt her blood drain from her face. Obviously, this did not go unnoticed by the other two women.

"Ur… y' okay, suga'?" Kitsune asked, reaching out a hand to rest it upon the older woman's shoulder.

Keika remained silent as she glanced onto the next page of the stack, which only made her eye begin to twitch again. She didn't even shrug off the hand on her shoulder, if she even wanted to in the first place, that is.

"Congratulations, Keika." Haruka said with a smile, despite the younger woman's rather negative expression "Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to get back to the tea shop. You can start your duties after the exam, _kanrinin-san_."

Kitsune was evidently surprised by this, though Keika seemed to have no more reaction than prior as Haruka left the room, shutting the door behind her. It was silent for a time as Keika simply stared at the deed in front of her.

"…Kitsune?"

"Hai?"

"Does that bottle of imported rum still have my name on it?"

"…hai."

"Please get it for me."

"…hai."

* * *

"…seventeen percent…" Keika muttered, her head hung low as she sat against the back of the rain-soaked bench "…better than I was expecting… but not as good as I'd hoped… I might have done better if I hadn't decided to drink…"

'_Kami-sama… that stuff was _strong_…'_

She sighed and finally got to her feet, her umbrella protecting her jacket-laden body and the contents of her bag from the oncoming rain. Still, she found herself looking up at the grey sky, the rain pelting her glasses as she peaked out from under the umbrella. Though it was dark and dreary, Keika could practically see the emotion in the sky itself; she could almost see the sky's sadness, it's tears falling down onto the cold earth below.

"Staring off at nothing again, Kei-chan?"

Startled ever so slightly, Keika brought her face back under the protection of her umbrella, wiping off her glasses so she can see just who it was that was speaking to her.

"Oh, hey Haitani." Keika finally said, grinning "Yeah, I got a bit distracted there for a moment."

"By the way…" Shirai said, popping out from behind his taller friend, grinning wildly "What was your percent?"

Sighing, Keika's face fell slightly.

"…seventeen…"

Both of the boys grinned when they heard that.

"You know what that means?" Shirai began, his grin widening.

"_You_ are paying for tonight's meal!" Haitani replied, setting a firm hand on Keika's shoulder "There's this new restaurant I've been waiting to take a certain _beautiful_ girl to."

Keika's eyes narrowed menacingly.

"Haitani…"

"I know, I know…" he replied, holding up a hand to signify no more was needed "I'm just saying…"

"Just remember that I'm not-"

"Interested, I know." Haitani finished, smiling "That doesn't mean I can't hope, right?"

"Hmph, just don't get your hopes up too far." Keika replied, rolling her eyes as a grin tugged at her face "…is this going to bankrupt me?"

"If it's the place I think he's talking about…" Shirai began, his grin downright wicked "…yes."

Keika simply sighed, and motioned for the two boys to lead the way. Silently she cursed herself for being tricked into that stupid bet; they always went to the expensive restaurants. As they walked down the sidewalk though, the shorter Shirai thought of something.

"Hey Keika, how's that dorm you're in charge of?" Shirai asked, suppressing a grin that threatened to cross his face.

Once more, Keika found herself sighing.

"Honestly? Most of those girls scare me." Keika replied, her visual memory kicking in and flashing through some of the key events "One of them's some sort of mad scientist, one of them is a man-hating swordmaster who dresses like a samurai, and another one apparently has some kind of complex or something… but at least Shinobu's normal, if a bit shy."

"Huh… sounds like you've got your hands full." Haitani stated, earning him a look that spoke volumes of sarcasm "Shinobu's the cute little blunette, right?"

"Yeah, she's absolutely adorable." Keika replied with a smile "She's also quite the chef."

"Why do _you_ get to be in charge of an all-girl's dorm?!" Shirai exclaimed "Why can't _I _be in charge of a house filled with gorgeous babes?!"

"All but two of which are underage…" Keika interjected, rolling her eyes once more "And of the five-"

"Wait, you only told us about _four_ of them." Haitani cut in, her brow furrowed "Who's the fifth?"

"Hm? Oh! I forgot about Kitsune!" Keika stated, surprised with herself "Oh kami-sama, don't even get me _started_ on her."

"What? Is she that bad?" Shirai asked, a brow raised as both of their interests were piqued.

"Well… it's not that she's _bad_, it's more that she's…" Keika paused, searching for the right word "…difficult."

"…and the difference is…?"

"Well, first off, she's a slacker." Keika began, crossing her arms while keeping the umbrella above her to protect her from the rain "She spends most of the time drinking, watching TV for hours, and gambling away her little hard earned money that she earns, as she says, being a 'freelance journalist'."

"Well, what's so diffic-" Haitani began, but Keika hadn't quite finished.

"That's not it though; she's also a shameless tease, and she can lie through her teeth and put on a front better than _anyone_ I've ever met!" Keika continued now frowning and a bit excited "Hell, the first time I met her, she was practically all over me and _completely_ naked, but then didn't seem embarrassed in the slightest after I woke back up!"

'_Not to mention using it to try to bankrupt me with booze purchases…'_

Now blushing as her mind played that particular scenario over in her head, she completely missed the fact that both boys on either side of her were now hanging onto her every word, clearly enjoying this particular part of the conversation.

"But…" Keika continued once more, her pace slowing as several other memories began to pop into her visual mind "…other times, she comes across like Haruka does. It's like… she knows what's wrong, or what you're thinking, and she somehow knows just what to say or do to make you feel better…"

'_It's like… she can read me like an open book when she looks at me…'_ Keika found herself thinking, completely lost in her thoughts and unaware of the fact that the two guys that had been walking alongside her had now moved on ahead to catch a group of schoolgirls.

Trapped in her own thoughts, Keika was completely unaware, and further unprepared, for when Shirai and Haitani came flying back into her against their will, courtesy of a certain female samurai's ki attack. She certainly felt it though, as well as feeling her body hit the ground and being squished by the weight of her two friends. It was not an experience she wished to repeat.

* * *

"…you alright thar, suga'?" Kitsune asked, sitting up from her place on the couch "Y' look like ya got hit by a car in yer sleep or somethin'."

"Su…" Keika said, still hunched over, stiff, and sore from the night before "How does Motoko do it?"

"Well, ah don't know if you've noticed or not, but 'toko ain't built lahke th' rest o' us." Kitsune explained, grinning as she lay back down on 'her' spot of the couch "Hell, it almost seems fitting."

"What do you mean?" Keika asked, easing herself into the other chair in the room, intending to join Kitsune in some of her TV time.

"Oh come on, y' haven't noticed?" Kitsune replied, smiling ever so foxily "She's a martial arts nut, she's in better shape 'an many guys, she claims she 'hates' men, doesn't act the least bit fem'nine, and lives in a house filled with good lookin' women, one of which sleeps with 'er nightly. All she needs is t' cut 'er hair short, wear men's clothin', and-"

"I _really_ don't think Motoko, er, swings that way." Keika interrupted, blushing furiously once more "People aren't simple stereotypes, you know…"

"Ah know, but that doesn't mean I can't joke 'bout it." Kitsune replied before taking a swig from her bottle of… something Keika couldn't recognize, but was most likely insanely strong "But yer right; she's, surprisingly, straight."

"…okay…" Keika replied hesitantly, not seeing why she needed to know this particular bit of information.

"Oddly enough, Naru is too, and Shinobu _obviously_ is." Kitsune continued, taking intermittent drinks as she did "Su… well, ah'd have t' say she's bi after that time she-"

"Kitsune, you're letting the alcohol run your mouth again." Keika replied quickly, trying to ignore what she had just heard "How about we just watch TV?"

"Then there's you." Kitsune continued, smiling broadly at the sheer look of terror on Keika's face "…Ah'm 'onestly not sure 'bout you yet; y' don' really seem int'rested in anyon-."

"Wow, look at that? Time really flies when you're having fun, doesn't it?" Keika said, standing, red faced, to her feet in a hurry "Break's over! Time to study!"

Keika had already rushed more than half-way up the stairs before Kitsune had a chance to respond, sitting back up in the process. For a moment, the foxy woman simply stared, one eye open, at the stairs where Keika had disappeared from view. It wasn't too long of a moment though, and eventually she lay back down with a rather thoughtful look.

'_Definitely an interesting girl…'_ she thought, continuing with her drinking and previous leisurely activities.

* * *

Keika found that she really couldn't study at the moment. She'd try to read one of the text books, but found that she couldn't even remember the last line she'd gone over, and even found herself reading both the same page and same line over and over. Eventually, with a growl of frustration, Keika slammed the book shut on her kotatsu.

"Damn fox-woman…" Keika grumbled under her breath as she leaned back onto the floor, staring up at the boarded hole in her ceiling that she knew led to Naru's room.

It wasn't so much that she couldn't focus, but more that she was distracted by her own thoughts, which she only had the vulpine woman to thank for spawning them. Whether Keika had, initially, noticed it or not, Kitsune's last words had been a rather unsettling comment for her. Most people wouldn't be fazed by being told that they didn't really seem interested in anyone, mainly because most everyone knew that was certainly false. However, it was a bit different for Keika: she honestly _wasn't_ interested in anyone, and never had been, least not in that fashion.

It wasn't the first time she'd thought about it, but it was the first time anyone had said such a thing to her face. Hearing it in your own thoughts was one thing, but having someone else point out something about you was entirely different. It bothered her; she didn't understand why she had never been interested in anyone as anything more than a friend. How was it possible for any _normal_ person to go through nineteen years of life without feeling any sort of sexual attraction?

_'I feels like the only thing I see is art... not people...'_ Keika sadly thought, before growling again and furiously shaking her head _'Damn fox-woman... stupid thoughts...'_

As a means of alleviating her irritation, and hopefully removing those thoughts as well, Keika reached into her bag and pulled out a single notebook, brown and worn, and opened it up to the first page. On the very first page of the notebook was a sketch of a single building, done in great detail, and even going so far as to make each and every one of the shingles on the roof the proper, and exact, size given their current perspective. Flipping down a couple more pages, Keika revealed a exceptionally beautiful portrayal of a cat sleeping on it's back, and it was so detailed that even small bits of unruly hair could be seen amidst it's long, elegant, fluffy coat.

Finally, Keika flipped to the last page that had anything on it, and she was met by an all too familiar face looking up at her. Though obviously not entirely complete, the image was done enough that anyone could tell that it was a bust of one Mitsune "Kitsune" Konno, which was further illustrated by the words across the side of the page. It portrayed the woman's smiling, vulpine face, complete with amusingly foxy grin and slit eyes, and had her short hair in it's usual state of controlled chaos. The image was complete down to her slender neck, which was outlined on down to her shoulders, with a barely visible line between them that effectively 'cut' the bust just above her, well, bust. (AN: sorry, had to say it XD) The image, so far, was an utterly perfect portrayal of Hinata-sou's resident Kitsune…

…to everyone but Keika, that is; she saw _every_ flaw.

'_I need to adjust the length of the nose… and neck…'_ Keika thought to herself as she fished around inside her bag for her pencils and erasers _'Something's also off with the ears…'_

As if in a trance, and clearly compelled to work on the seemingly near-complete drawing, Keika's hand began to move deftly across the page, making subtle, small marks or removing seemingly insignificant pieces that she deemed some sort of unworthy. She moved from the ears, nose, and eyes, on down to the lips, and finally down to 'complete' the neck. She shaded as necessary, added what subtle traits she could remember, and even detailed where her collarbone protruded slightly. All of it done entirely from memory.

After what seemed like minutes, but in actuality was well over an hour and a half, Keika finally allowed herself a good grin, admiring her "completed" work.

"There! All done!" Keika whispered excitedly as she looked over her finished work "Looks just like her!"

Looking it over for a few more moments, Keika's enamored expression began to fade. In it's place sprung a look of interest, accompanied by a slight blush. Carefully, and lightly, Keika traced a slight outline of two triangles on Kitsune's head, with two other triangles inside of them. In her mind she imagined them as being cute little ears, covered in brown fur, and that Kitsune could move of her own free will while she grinned like the fox that she was. By that point, Keika's blush was absolutely raging, but she simply didn't notice it.

"…she'd make a really cute kitsune…" Keika muttered embarrassedly to herself, flipping the page over so that she was able to begin her work anew on a blank page.

Silently, the board on the other side of the hole in Keika's room's roof slid back into place.

* * *

"M'rry Chris'mas!" Kitsune exclaimed the moment Keika walked in the door, a bottle in hand and a massive banner behind her.

Apparently, she was already wasted, but Keika didn't notice. The aura of dread and gloom did not go unnoticed by the rest of the crew, however.

"Ano… are you alright sempai?" Shinobu asked in concern.

"Did'ja pass?" Su asked as she front flipped from the couch towards Keika, turning it into a flying kick mid-flight.

The 'greeting', however, missed, and Su was forced to tuck and roll with her momentum to keep from hurting herself. With a sigh, Keika looked up with a grin.

"No, I didn't pass the mock exam…" Keika said, her voice oddly cheery despite the news "It was close, but not good enough."

'_As expected…'_ Keika added, though she dare not say it aloud so as not to break her façade.

"Well, tha' sucks…" Kitsune muttered a tad too loudly "Kinda ruins th' Christmas mood…"

"No, don't be like that." Keika pleaded, rubbing the back of her head nervously "It's alright; it was just the _mock_ exam, after all; I've still got a shot."

Walking over to the table, Keika quickly grabbed one of Santa hats and pulled it on, still grinning like a fool.

"Now who's ready for a part-ack!" Keika tried to ask, but Su didn't miss the second time.

"YAY!!! Merry Christmas!" Su shouted, her legs currently wrapped around the still standing Keika's neck, who was quickly turning blue from the lack of air reaching her lungs.

"Auu! Su, you're gonna kill her!" Shinobu pleaded as she tried to rescue her sempai from the young, hysterically laughing, gaijin.

Despite the, normally hilarious, scene before her, Kitsune was not laughing. In fact, in a truly rare moment, both of her eyes were open in observation of the older brunette. The vulpine woman was _not_ smiling, until they finally turned to look at her, which is when her 'drunken stupor' returned full force.

* * *

"Kami-sama, how much did you drink?" Keika asked, struggling to haul her inebriated friend up the stairs.

"Uh… befuhr er aphter th' 'eavy stufff?" Kitsune drawled out, her legs barely able to support her own weight as she shuffled along.

Though she drank the most, she was in the best of shape out of all the heavy drinkers. Everyone but those two and Naru, the last of which had gone to bed earlier, was passed out on the floor of the main room, drunk off their asses. This, naturally, left Keika, the only person to drink moderately besides Naru, to cover up those who had passed out, and to help the one who wasn't yet unconscious back up to her room on the second floor. Sometimes being self-controlled has it's downfalls, and this is one of them.

As the duo made it up the steps, finally, Keika couldn't help but notice that Kitsune was quite warm, not to mention pressed right up against her. She was blushing a color she was becoming all too familiar with, trying to not pay attention to the various body parts pressing against her as they made way to the rooms in silenc-

"Hey… Keika… whah're y' tryin' t' get into Toudai?" Kitsune slurred out, seemingly at random.

Keika gave the woman a confused look for a moment, wondering exactly how such a question came about.

"…well… I made a promise to someone a long time ago." Keika answered, smiling as she reminisced "I always keep my promises."

"…do y' even _want_ t' go t' Toudai, though?" Kitsune slurred out once more, her eyes trained on the floor "Will i' make y' happy if'n y' get in?"

Once more, Keika gave the vulpine woman a look of confusion, but ultimately just shook her head and dismissed the drunken question. Several minutes later, Kitsune was safely and comfortably situated in her room, and Keika was heading into her own, yawning as she opened the door. Her eyes immediately fell onto her bed, and not just because she was tired, for on the futon lay a medium sized cardboard box that, unlike the ones earlier, was not wrapped. Curious as to what it was, though cautious given the unusual natures of many of the dorm's inhabitants, Keika made her way to the box and picked it up, noticing it was not exactly heavy, but not light either. Setting it back down, she proceeded to open said box.

Once the lid was off, Keika's eyes snapped open. Inside the box there lay a small wooden case and a notebook of sorts, but upon further inspection Keika noticed that the 'notebook' was actually a sketch pad. The case, as Keika both assumed and verified, was actually a small art set with a decent assortment of drawing implements. Blinking to make sure she wasn't seeing things, Keika couldn't help but be awestruck by the gift and the evident, and accurate, thought that must have gone into it. At the same time though-

"Who here knew I liked drawing? I've never mentioned anything about it even to Haruka…"

Nearby, a fox-eyed woman smiled.

_**

* * *

End Chapter 2**_

_

* * *

Author's Note: Footnotes…_

_No footnotes this time! w00t! Anyway, I hope you all enjoyed this chapter, and I urge you to review given that I changed from my original plan for this chapter and several subsequent ones. Anyway, if you can, please review so that I know if my edits to this chapter have made it a good chapter. If the circumstances hold up, I _could_ have Ch. 3 up by Monday morning. Let's hope, shall we?_

_Until next time…_

_**-A.W.R.**_


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